Key dates
Trainee Associate Programme commencing in 2028 or 2029
Application window: 30 September 2025 - 27 November 2025
Note that we recruit on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Roles may close before the advertised deadline if we receive a high volume of applications.
Eligibility: Penultimate- and final-year undergraduate students from any degree discipline and graduates. You must be eligible to start your Trainee Associate Programme in either 2028 or 2029. Your intake will be allocated by the Early Careers Team based on your current academic status.
Putting you first
For prospective trainees from under-represented backgrounds, we offer additional mentoring and coaching as well as the opportunity for all future joiners to formally connect with others in our colleague networks.
We’re currently reviewing our recruitment process for the Trainee Associate Programme as we look to the future of early careers at Freshfields. Full details will be available in early September 2025.
If you are in your penultimate year or beyond, you are eligible to apply directly to our Trainee Associate Programme. There is no advantage in applying for a vacation scheme over a place on the Trainee Associate Programme and approximately half our trainee intakes come from direct Trainee Associate Programme applicants. You don’t need to have completed a vacation scheme to secure a place on the Trainee Associate Programme.
